


Coming Home

by bactaqueen



Category: Marvel Ultimates
Genre: F/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-19
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-10 03:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4375007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bactaqueen/pseuds/bactaqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Gail reunited after his first fight since waking up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. Recognizable characters belong to their respective owners. No profit is earned and no infringement is intended.

Steve just looked at her for a long time.

Gail was waiting in the dark in his living room, settled into one of the worn old armchairs he'd hauled up from the stoop sale when he'd moved in, side-lit by the streetlights through the blinds. She was as lovely as ever no matter what she thought--what she'd said, what Bucky had said. Her hair was gray, but it was done up the way he remembered it; her lips weren't their old victory red, but they were red just the same. Her eyes may have held more sadness than he'd ever wished for her, but there was still kindness in them. She sat primly, her ankles crossed and feet tucked back, her hands folded on her knees.

"Rough day, soldier?" she said, like she always did in his fantasies before.

Steve shut the door behind him. This was a dream, he decided. He might not still be in medical, and that would be nice. He'd prefer to have this dream at home. He was alone and the thought of it, the thought of everything--it was too much to bear. He couldn't conjure her as she was, not since Bucky had shown him the family photos, because she wasn't the girl he loved anymore.

So he'd imagined this.

He crossed the room in a few long strides and sank to his knees in front of her and laid his head on her lap.

She felt so frail. Heat pricked behind his eyes and closed up his throat. He wouldn't have imagined her as frail.

She had to be real.

Steve curved his hands around her legs and closed his eyes and the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat. The tears came and he couldn't stop them. He didn't care to stop them. If he'd only listened to her, they would have been married, and she would have seen worse. So much worse. He'd lost his chance with her because of his own stupid selfishness. Still, here she was for him, just the same.

Gail stroked her fingers through his hair. "Steve?"

He shook his head hard and pressed his face to her lap. He sucked in a deep breath full of her. Warm skin, what she washed her clothes in, her soap... the tinge of menthol from the cream she used on her hands. His grip on her legs tightened, just a little, carefully so he didn't hurt her. She grounded him.

"I wanted to come home." The words sounded choked-off and desperate. He gasped again. He couldn't get enough air to breathe, it was having an asthma attack again. He'd forgotten how terrifying those were. "I wanted to come home, Gail, honey. I did."

"Shh, Steve." She stroked her fingers gently over his hair and held his shoulders, the closest she could come to a hug. "I know you did."

"I'm so sorry." He pressed closer to her. "I'm so sorry, Gail. I meant to come home."


End file.
